In early September, we hosted a panel session at the Society for Longitudinal and Lifecourse Studies (SLLS) annual conference, held at the University of Fribourg. The session focused on our ambitions to better connect policy stakeholders with longitudinal population researchers.
Setting the scene
Chaired by Lisa Calderwood, the session opened with an overview of PRUK’s activities from our Infrastructure chair, Andy Boyd. This was followed by an introduction to our approach to connecting policy stakeholders with longitudinal studies, presented by Forum chair Paul Bradshaw.
We then welcomed three international speakers – Susan Morton, Doris Hanappi, and Aisling Murray – who shared compelling case studies on policy exchange from New Zealand, Switzerland, and Ireland.
An overview of our plans
At PRUK, we have five strategic objectives, directly informed by consultation and built around the real-world challenges facing the Longitudinal Population Studies (LPS) community to:
- Coordinate and advocate for the LPS community
- Enhance discovery capabilities for LPS
- Streamline data access processes and mechanisms
- Facilitate linked data use
- Build capacity and skills for LPS
To meet these objectives, we are leading on a range of activities including engagement with the community, providing a searchable register, simplifying data access, creating a Secure Data Environment training platform, and coordination more training resources.
In terms of policy engagement, we’ll establish a UK-wide policy exchange to connect policy stakeholders with evidence needs to LPS researchers, provide evidence syntheses and quantify LPS impact.
An open funding call to support this work will be launched in early 2026.
International perspectives on policy engagement
Growing Up in New Zealand
Speaker: Susan Morton, University of Technology Sydney
Susan shared insights from Growing Up in New Zealand, the country’s largest contemporary longitudinal study of child development, which has followed over 6,000 children and their families since before birth (2009–2010). The study reflects the ethnic and socioeconomic diversity of New Zealand and aims to inform strategies to reduce disadvantage.
Key to its success has been early and sustained engagement with policymakers, including:
- Policy forums to identify data priorities and co-develop evaluation projects.
- Data linkage discussions with health, education, and social services.
- Policy briefs to support ministerial submissions and inquiries.
- Fast-track reporting and tailored data access for government use.
- Wave reports summarising key findings after each data collection phase.
This collaborative model enabled the co-design of policy solutions grounded in robust evidence.
Swiss Evidence in Education Lab (Swiss EdLab)
Speaker: Doris Hanappi, Jacobs Center for Productive Youth Development, University of Zurich
Doris introduced the Swiss EdLab, a national platform designed to translate education and developmental research into policy impact. The initiative connects local insights with global best practices and aligns with the EU LEARN Policy Lab to position Switzerland within a European evidence ecosystem.
Swiss EdLab’s model includes:
- Evidence-Marketplace: An online platform for research summaries, policy briefs, and other formats of evidence synthesis.
- Evidence Capacity-Building: Open-access courses and a certificate in evidence and innovation for education professionals, such as public administrators and policymakers.
- Dialogue and Demand Building: Events, alumni networks, and science-policy forums to foster an evidence-informed community.
Growing Up in Ireland
Speaker: Aisling Murray, Department of Children, Disability and Equality (DCDE)
Aisling discussed Growing Up in Ireland, the national longitudinal study of children and young people, jointly run by the DCDE and the Central Statistics Office since 2006.
Reflecting on her personal experience working in both a research institute, and more recently, as a civil servant in a research role, Aisling shared some insights with us.
Strategies for policy engagement comprised:
- An advisory group of policymakers to shape research questions and ensure relevance.
- Commissioned research aligned with policy needs, including support for policymakers to conduct their own analyses.
Challenges included aligning research timelines with policy cycles, the possibility of frequent changes in personnel in policy units, and diversity in research experience among policymakers.
Despite these challenges, the study has become a vital source of evidence for Irish policy development.
Practical insights from our panel discussion
The session concluded with a rich discussion on how to strengthen the link between research and policy. Some of the key takeaways were:
- Be proactive: involve policymakers early when shaping research agendas and questions.
- Build relationships: personal connections and ongoing communication are crucial.
- Tailor communications: use accessible formats and language suited to policy audiences.
- Create visibility: use webinars, launches, and media to build “brand familiarity”.
- Facilitate access: provide fast-track reports, searchable publication indexes, and open data access.
- Support capacity: offer statistical training and resources for policymakers.
- Plan ahead: align research timelines with policy cycles – think five years in advance.
- Encourage feedback: invite policymakers to review draft reports.
- Ensure relevance: ask questions that matter to policymakers and co-design solutions.
Looking ahead
As a sponsor of the conference, we were delighted to support an event that brings together leading voices working with longitudinal data to better inform government policies.
We are already looking forward to attending the 2026 conference hosted by the Université Libre de Bruxelles on 1 – 3 July.
If you are interested in longitudinal research and policy, PRUK will be opening a funding call to establish a policy exchange to work on this area.
To stay informed about this upcoming funding call, and other future opportunities, we encourage you to sign up to our newsletter.
